How to Save Yourself, and Others
by Babydollunderthesky
Summary: Rogue and Pyro find that, years after Alcatraz, their paths have crossed again. Revelations from the past offer a path to a future where they are finally together, although the future is full of surprises – good ones, and bad. RYRO.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Don't own anything. RYRO shipper since the beginning.**

 _Summary: Rogue and Pyro find that, years after Alcatraz, their paths have crossed again. Revelations from the past offer a path to a future where they are finally together, although the future is full of surprises – good ones, and bad. RYRO._

 **How to Save Yourself, and Others**

Twenty-one-year-old Marie D'Ancanto stepped into the subway train and sank into the nearest chair she could lay her eyes on. It wasn't as if she had to worry though, since the train was practically deserted, save for a couple of people. She was too deep in thought to even care, seeing as how it was a short three hours until the end of her birthday and she was going to spend it alone.

Sure, Logan and the rest of the team had made birthday plans with her, but these were cut short by an impromptu team mission to some other part of the country, and being the powerless human that she was, she was forced to sit this one out.

 _I am not bitter_ , Marie reminded herself, pursing her lips slightly. She tugged on a strand of her hair. She had dyed the white parts to match the rest of her face with temporary brown dye, but the color was starting to fade away slightly and she considered washing the whole thing off.

Human life had been throwing her off slightly. She had no business staying and living in the mansion, especially with the number of students at the place and the need for rooms, so she'd moved out almost an entire year ago into a small one-bedroom apartment. She wasn't ready to get back into the human world either and interact with others, and so online classes had been her solution and she was almost ready to return to the mansion – this time with some use – and help Storm out with the lack of teachers. Indeed, she was in a small rut.

Her less-than-happy musings were cut short when a figure bumped into her slightly while easing in the seat next to her and Rogue almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of John Allerdyce. He looked exactly the same save for the clean haircut.

"Is it just me or were you the last person I expected to see today?" he offered, not looking at her.

She didn't say anything seeing as how she was slowly starting to panic. Pyro, who she hadn't seen since he left her on that X-jet years ago, except for on television where he was broadcasted for terrorizing innocent people. Pyro, who was supposed to be dead after his legendary fight versus Iceman on Alcatraz. Pyro, whose memories – good, bad and surprising – were still lodged in her head, making their appearance every now and then. Pyro, her now dangerous, human-hating ex-best friend.

"Cat got your tongue, Roguey?" he muttered, straightening his jacket, still not looking at her.

This time she turned slightly to face him, hoping for some sign of recognition. For a glance her way, even out of the corner of his eye.

But then what would happen? They'd look at each other and he'd remember that he despises her for everything she stands for and she'd remember that while a part of her was screaming joy at the sight of John – alive – despite everything, she was still just a little bit scared that Pyro would rear his ugly head.

"You're alive," she deadpanned, suddenly breathless.

He scoffed, and finally looked at her – no, not her – but her hands. He raised one eyebrow, noticing that she wasn't wearing gloves and suddenly wondering if this was the first time he'd seen her bare hands, ever.

"You're human," he retorted, and Marie felt a chill run down her spine so cold she could have sworn Bobby must've been in the same train with them at that moment, rounding off the happy-or-not reunion she was having that night.

"Oh, shut up," she bit back, shifting in her seat and staring straight ahead. "Let me get ahead of you." She was on a roll, and cleared her throat before mimicking his voice. "Damn it, Rogue, you had a gift and you just squandered it away – and for what? Don't you dare tell me it was Drake because I might as well shoot myself right now if that is the sort of pathetic reason your pathetic mind decided to get that pathetic cure and turn into a pathetic waste of space. You're a traitor to your kind, you make me sick, yuck, let me move to another seat before I catch your germs." Rogue huffed, and folded her arms.

By now, he was really looking at her – her, not her hands. And he was smirking slightly.

"You had a great start, but the rest of it sounded like something a fifth grader would say."

"Then it was a perfect impression of you," she snapped at him.

Pyro raised his hands in mock surrender. And she almost cried because in that moment he looked so much like her old best friend John and nothing like Pyro the murderer. She made a point of looking anywhere but at him out of fear that she may just bawl right there and then and become some emotional mess with too much attachment issues.

"I just hope – and you better bet this doesn't change the fact that I hate you so much right now – that you're happy," he said, looking at her with those almond eyes, a certain fire to them, pun not intended.

Marie finally gave and turned to face him.

"Are you?" she asked.

He reacted with a hollow laugh, and relaxed into his seat.

"I haven't been happy in a very long time," he said after short pause.

"Then that makes the two of us," she sighed after another short pause. The train came to a stop, and she made an attempt to shuffle out of her seat. "This is me," she said inclining her head towards the doors, which had just opened.

He got up, and she made her way to the door, aware that he was following her. She didn't turn back until after the doors had shut, and when she did, she found him staring at her with a bored expression.

"Let me walk you home," he said suddenly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Wouldn't want a girl like you walking alone in this dark city at this hour at night."

She rolled her eyes at him, but didn't say no, and soon they were both climbing the stairs towards the city lights.

"I can take care of myself, Johnny," Marie told him pointedly as they walked the streets. But he just stared straight ahead, walking in rhythm with her, lips shut tightly. After a couple of blocks of silence, she cracked. "So, what've you been upto lately?"

Pyro hesitated for a moment. "Let's…let's not ruin this, Rogue. Let's just be John and Rogue for tonight, and pretend that we're exactly as we were all those years back."

"But I'm not Rogue, anymore," she said quietly. And then, looking his way. "And I never thought you'd ever want to be John again."

He smiled, still staring straight ahead.

"I just…I saw you tonight," he began, speaking so softly she had to really listen to make sure she didn't miss anything. "And I missed you. The last time I saw you was –"

"Alkali Lake."

"No," he said, stopping. He looked to his shoes. "I, uh, I saw you the day you got the Cure. I was supposed to torch that clinic, but, um, then I saw you."

She didn't know what to say. She could almost see his defenses sliding up after that slip of honesty, and tread lightly, not sure whether she'd get a reaction from John or from Pyro.

"But I saw you on the news, it wouldn't have been your first time torching –"

"I didn't want to kill you, okay," Pyro snapped, looking annoyed. "I told myself a long time ago that I didn't care, I wouldn't be held responsible for your death, ever."

She didn't say anything, although she wanted to. She wanted to tell him about the time she'd absorbed him back at Bobby's porch, and about the nightmares she saw, about the real John Allerdyce, about his fears, about how he felt about her and about how she knew everything. She felt that he knew anyway, that she'd seen everything, and that was why he was testing her on the X-Jet, asking her if she always did what she was told, testing her one last time if they had a chance or if he should finally let go. But the silence was too comfortable, too familiar, and she didn't want to do anything to affect it.

So they walked, each too busy with their own thoughts, until they finally reached her apartment. She invited him in for some coffee, maybe a beer, but he declined.

She nodded, and, after a moment's thought, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a hug she hoped would tell him everything: tell him she'd missed him all these years, tell him she'd cried the night she found out about the fight with Bobby and thought he'd died, tell him she'd mourned him, tell him that maybe, somewhere along the line, the possibility of them had crossed her mind if only he wasn't Pyro the murderer, if only he hadn't switched sides.

And after the initial shock and cringe, he placed a firm hand on her back. He backed away first, fishing in his jacket pocket and pulling out his age-old zippo lighter. In less than a second, he had the flames dancing, forming the number 21, hovering between him and her. Fire had never looked so beautiful to Marie.

"Happy birthday, Roguey, make a wish," he said, smiling knowingly, tiredly, as though all the years between them were a heavy burden on his shoulders.

She blinked back teary eyes at the idea that he remembered, that even though he put up that Pyro front, somewhere in the back he was still John, John who cared for her, even just a little.

She closed her eyes, and wished that they'd be okay, whatever they were – friends, frenemies – and that she'd see him again, even just to know he was all right.

With eyes still closed, she blew at the burning 21, and it disappeared just like birthday candles. Pyro looked at her, suddenly remembering innocent, teenage Rogue. Hopeful, but scared. Happy, but sad.

And he went for it.

Leaning forward, taking advantage that her eyes were still closed, he planted a soft kiss on her lips, and when she opened her mouth slightly allowing him entry, he dove straight into it, trying to place as much meaning into the kiss as he could, happy that she was kissing him back, the fire in him raging in his chest, causing him to warm up unintentionally as her hand touched his face and his supported her back.

The kiss grew deeper and it left him breathless, almost dizzy. And he needed to sit down, or lie down, or maybe take a small nap just to recover. But Rogue was too busy, feeling ecstatic, feeling so powerful and on top of the world after such a depressing day, feeling so happy she'd seen her sitting on that train alone it made her heart jump.

And that's when she pushed him away, harder than she'd wanted, and Pyro fell against the opposite wall, using it for balance. He was pale; his veins clear against ashen skin, taking deep breaths. And she looked so frightened, reaching out to touch his shoulder and him her arm before his legs gave out and he almost pulled her down with him, losing consciousness.

 **A/N: Please review. Pretty please, with a burning cherry on top.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't own anything. RYRO shipper since the beginning.**

 _Summary: Rogue and Pyro find that, years after Alcatraz, their paths have crossed again. Revelations from the past offer a path to a future where they are finally together, although the future is full of surprises – good ones, and bad. RYRO._

 _Time to learn why Rogue *really* left the mansion._

 **How to Save Yourself, and Others**

Ororo Munroe was watching the news on silent in the Professor's office. Tonight's feature – a story on the growing number of anti-mutant protests across the country – were making her worry. This, coupled by the growing rate of Cure failures also happening all over the country, meant that their short time of peace at the academy would soon be put on hold.

Storm sighed and reached for the remote to change the channel.

"It will all be okay, Ororo," came the calm voice of Charles Xavier. Storm turned to face him; the Professor was looking through some papers in a folder, and she gave him a small smile.

Ever since his return a year ago, she had been more at ease than when she was left – alone – to run the entire school. Sure, she had help in the form of teaching assistants like Bobby, Kitty and, for a limited time, Rogue. But after the…incident…Rogue, and by extension Logan, could no longer help her out.

Now, a year later, Logan was brooding and on the road, and Rogue made bare minimum contact with her. Just enough to let her know she was alive. A knock on the open door pulled her out of her thoughts, and she found herself looking at Bobby. But Bobby was looking past her in concern and Storm turned to see Charles with his one finger pressed against his temple and his eyes shut in concentration.

"Professor, what is it?" she asked, standing up at reaching out to him.

"We need to get to Rogue, and we need Logan and Katherine back here, immediately."

He made his way towards the door, Storm and Bobby a step behind him, slightly confused.

"What was it, professor?"

Charles stopped at the doorway, knuckles white, and released his tight grip on his wheelchair.

"It was Moira," he said, mouth dry. "I heard Moira screaming."

 **XXX**

Rogue stuffed her clothes into her bag, along with a couple of gloves. She was wearing a hooded jacket and her leather pair, her hair let down and covering most of her neck. She peeked into her living room at the unconscious form of Pyro on her couch. She was already panicking, but after pulling him into her apartment and checking his vitals the best she could, she concluded that he was stable and that the stirring movements and sounds he was making were a sign that he would soon wake up. But he was pale; very pale, and she still couldn't risk it.

Holding her phone to her ear, Rogue zipped her bag, waiting nervously for Bobby to pick up.

She hated this, she hated the way that kiss had been ruined by the memories rushing into her head. Things she had "forgotten", things that had been hidden from her. God, what an idiot. She felt sick to her stomach, thinking that just a year ago -

"Rogue?"

"Bobby, I need you to listen –"

"What's going on? The professor said –"

"JUST LISTEN, PLEASE!" she shrieked at him, tears clouding her vision. Rogue put her hand to her mouth, before taking a deep gulp of air to calm her nerves. "It happened _again_ and I hurt John and he's okay, I think he's okay, but he's in my apartment and I need you to please pick him up and get him some help."

"John? Who's John?"

"John Allerdyce, Bobby! John, our friend."

" _He's alive_?"

"Yes, and he's unconscious but he's breathing fine and his pulse is fine but he's really pale and I think it would be better if he got medical attention. Please, okay? Please take him to the Academy? He's okay, Bobby. He's not _bad_ anymore."

A scoff.

"Please, Bobby."

A sigh.

"Okay. Okay, I'll be right over. Rogue, please just stay there, alright? We're all worried and we want to make sure that you're okay."

Silence.

"Rogue?"

Silence.

"Damn it."

 **XXX**

Rogue ran down the stairs and was about to exit the building when the door whacked her in the face, causing her to fall backwards. She landed half on the floor and half on her bag, and in walked a scruffy looking guy.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, not that he sounded like it. He reached out to her, and Rogue froze. She refused to accept his hand and instead stared at it. Her nose and most of her face hurt, but not as much as it would have on a normal day. But she did feel as if she wanted to puke, the insides of her head sloshing back and forth.

"All right," the guy said, before lunging forward and grabbing her by the arm, pulling her up easily as if she were a doll. She didn't know what to do. Years spent training as a member of the X-Men and here she was, scared and still like a little bunny. Rogue mentally cursed herself, unable to move and barely able to think. It was too _noisy_ in her head, after all.

"I'm looking for someone named Pyro, and I think you can help me," he continued and Rogue made to pull her arm away but he tightened his grip on her. She immediately made to hit him with her other arm, but he blocked her easily and she felt as if her bone had collided with solid steel – much like Piotr.

Before she could say another word, he threw her against the wall on her left, and she flew through it like it was made of fake bricks. She landed in a heap in the alleyway next to the building, lost in the pile of rubble and dust. She slowly made to get on her knees and elbows, face still an inch to the floor, struggling to get air into her lungs having had the wind knocked out of her. Her hood was down, and soon she was once again being held up, this time by the shoulder, wheezing for air.

"I knew you were one of us. You had that feel…"

Rogue blinked at him before noticing that he was having difficulty completing his sentence. That was when a wave of memories hit her in the middle of her head, practically splitting her skull in half with the pain of a new psyche invading her already fully-booked mind. She struggled to push him off, but he was holding her like a dog with its jaw locked on someone's leg. She struggled too, still trying to get some air into her system, afraid she would soon pass out. Finally, when he was weak enough to simply pry off – and visibly shaking in what she could only describe as seizures, she peeled him off like dead skin stuck to her deadly one, and he slumped to the ground like some broken children's toy. She stood there, not bothering to move, not bothering to do anything but cry. Her feet were cemented to the ground, her joints locked refusing her any movement and so she wept, the pain in her head echoing throughout her body.

Another set of arms grasped her, this time at her sides.

"Hey, look at me."

She opened her tear-stained eyes and looked at Pyro – Pyro, awake. Pale and sickly looking but awake and alive, looking at her with wide brown eyes, his hands warm and his entire presence making her feel…warmer.

"I didn't do anything," she mumbled lamely, tilting her head down and shaking with tears. "I didn't kill him."

And he pulled her in, pulling her away from the alleyway, away from the building and into the quiet streets.

"No, you didn't kill him," he lied, holding onto her tightly, warming her. He looked back at the sight of the guy, recognition passing over his face at the now still body with eyes wide open in shock. He turned back forward, pulling Rogue even closer. "You didn't do anything, Rogue."

She was heaving now, falling apart, and he kept his arm around her, rubbing her own arm slightly. They had barely made it a block away when a car stopped in front of them and Storm and Iceman made their appearance.

"Let her go, John!"

"Marie, sweetheart, we need to take you home."

The pair froze, and Rogue looked Storm in her concerned, motherly eyes while Pyro bit his lip struggling not to take a swing at it and lunge forward to attack his old best friend.

"Storm, I don't want to go to the mansion," Rogue said, squirming under Pyro's arm.

Storm stepped forward, shutting her car door, and Rogue backed away, backed out of Pyro's grasp and took small steps away from her old teacher and ex-boyfriend.

"No, it's not safe and I do not want you to put me under again –"

"Rogue we only do that as a pre-caution. The professor is worried; he could actually hear Moira screaming, and maybe Carol –"

"DO NOT SAY THAT NAME!"

By now Pyro was confused. Storm was paying him no attention, and he expected her to care even just a little seeing as he was her ex-student turned ex-terrorist-slash-Magneto-follower. Sure, Bobby was glaring at him, but the two were still more focused on Rogue, who looked like she was a couple of seconds away from running.

"No, Storm, I told you, when you put me under I can't do anything and they all scream and talk and cry and all I can do is listen to them. And you lied to me, all of you, you put mental blocks on me and I...I don't trust you."

Pyro knew he was definitely missing something here. Rogue, not trusting the X-Men? What? And who was Carol and why did the name sound...familiar?

"The professor can help you with that Rogue," Bobby said, pleading at her with his eyes and making a move to reach out to her her.

He made another step forward and Pyro pulled a fireball out of his lighter, holding it up to Bobby's face. Iceman stopped short, a grim expression on his face.

"Don't even think about it, Bobby. It's clear that Rogue doesn't feel safe with you. Either of you. And I find that really interesting."

Another car was coming to a halt next to the one Storm and Bobby had driven in, and in the split moment of curiosity as to who it was, Iceman swung at Pyro, fist enclosed in ice. Pyro was ready to retaliate, and held his breath, ready to flame Iceboy's ass. But then the fireball, the fireball in his hand, burst with such force and heat that Bobby was thrown back slightly from the impact. He looked at his arm, where a new angry red burn was forming from the flames having licked his skin, giving him second degree burns.

"I didn't…do that," Pyro finished, looking at Storm's shocked face. Bobby on the other hand looked murderous.

 _Catch her._

A voice in his head, a very familiar voice in his head.

And Pyro turned around just in time to see Rogue close her eyes and fall. He managed to catch her right before she hit the ground, and he turned, carrying her unconscious form bridal style, to see Katherine Pryde looking close to tears from the driver's seat of the newcomer car, Professor Charles Xavier sitting next to her in the passenger's seat, smiling grimly at his shocked face.

 _It's time to go home_ , his voice echoed in all their heads.

 _All of us._

 **A/N: What do you think? I'm building this up to be slightly different from most of the post-Cure Ryro stories out there, so I will be tweaking things slightly along the way. Next chapter, soon! With Logan, the rest of the X-Gang, explanations about Rogue's "year" away from the Academy - and Pyro back in his old room!**


End file.
